Stavanger (Norway), June 6: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa scripted one of the finest achievements of his career by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title, completing a remarkable comeback with victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the final round.
The 20-year-old chess prodigy from Chennai secured the title after defeating Keymer with the white pieces in the tenth and final round of the tournament on Friday night. The victory earned him the championship trophy and the top prize of $100,000.
Praggnanandhaa finished the tournament with 18 points, edging past overnight leader Wesley So of the United States by a single point in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent editions of the event.
The triumph marks a significant milestone for Indian chess, as no Indian player had previously won Norway Chess, one of the strongest elite tournaments on the international calendar.
The final round began with Praggnanandhaa trailing Wesley So by half a point in the standings. However, the title race shifted in his favour when Wesley So agreed to an early draw against Alireza Firouzja.
Under the tournament’s unique scoring system, So’s draw yielded only 1.5 points after the Armageddon phase, opening the door for Praggnanandhaa to overtake him with a classical victory.
The Indian grandmaster seized the opportunity.
Playing aggressively and accurately, he capitalised on several inaccuracies by Keymer during the middle game. Converting his positional advantage into a winning endgame, Praggnanandhaa secured victory on the 45th move and clinched the title outright.
The win capped a remarkable turnaround for the young Indian, who had appeared out of contention midway through the tournament.
After six rounds, Praggnanandhaa was languishing at the bottom of the standings in sixth place. However, he responded with an extraordinary resurgence, winning four consecutive games to climb back into title contention.
Among those victories were two memorable wins over world number one Magnus Carlsen, including a crucial triumph late in the tournament that significantly boosted his chances.
He also defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the penultimate round, setting up the dramatic final-day showdown.
The four-match winning streak was the first such run at Norway Chess since Carlsen achieved a similar feat in 2021.
Praggnanandhaa’s final tally included five classical victories, two defeats and two draws. Both of his drawn games were later converted into victories through the tournament’s Armageddon tiebreak format, contributing valuable additional points.
Wesley So ultimately finished second with 17 points. Despite remaining unbeaten in classical chess throughout the tournament, the American grandmaster managed only two outright victories and relied heavily on Armageddon wins to stay in contention.
Firouzja secured third place with 15.5 points after another consistent performance.
For home favourite Magnus Carlsen, the tournament proved unusually challenging. The Norwegian superstar ended fourth with 13 points after suffering four losses, including two defeats against Praggnanandhaa.
Carlsen nevertheless concluded his campaign on a positive note by defeating Gukesh in the final round.
Vincent Keymer finished fifth with 11 points, while Gukesh ended sixth and last in the standings with eight points. The reigning world champion managed only one classical victory during the event despite registering two Armageddon wins.
The victory represents another landmark achievement in Praggnanandhaa’s rapidly growing career.
Already regarded as one of the brightest talents in world chess, the Chennai-based grandmaster has consistently challenged the game’s biggest names over the past few years. His performances against Carlsen and other elite players have earned him recognition as a future world title contender.
The Norway Chess triumph further strengthens that reputation.
Coming into the tournament, Praggnanandhaa had slipped to 16th in the world rankings released on June 1. His performance in Stavanger, however, demonstrated both resilience and maturity against a field featuring some of the strongest players in the world.
By overcoming a difficult start and producing a spectacular late surge, he not only captured one of chess’s most prestigious titles but also added another historic chapter to India’s growing legacy in the sport.
For Indian chess fans, the victory is yet another reminder of the country’s emergence as a global powerhouse, with a new generation of grandmasters continuing to challenge for the biggest honours on the international stage.
